Jack of Diamonds

Born and raised in a poor, working-class family in Toronto, Jack Spayd is the son of an unhappy marriage. After being taken under the wing of "Miss Frostbite", the owner of a local jazz club, Jack becomes a gifted musician, playing piano and harmonica. Fame and the allure of gambling takes him to Vegas, and prospects of fortune take him to the Belgian Congo, where he's heard it's possible to earn big money working in the most dangerous parts of the local copper mines.

It was slow and took a long time to really invest in the characters. He seemed to spend a lot of time on details that weren't significant to the overall plot.

What three words best describe Humphrey Bower’s voice?

Love him so much that I've found other audio books he's narrated, by other authors. He's a true master at narration, accents, characters (of both genders—without sounding condescending). But the story wasn't good so it was hard to get into his characters with this one. He seems to speak much slower when preforming with an American (or in this case Canadian) accent. It almost doesn't even sound like him.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoy Bryce Courtney's books—particularly Jessica, Power of One and Tandia. But it seems he's repeating/borrowing several concepts from his previous novels, i.e. card player—similar to Tomo in The Australian Trilogycopper miner/racial tensions—Peekay in Power of One

Obviously authors write what they know, but with 20+ books, I think he needs to expand what he writes about a little more. I still have some other books of his to listen to, which I will, but this was not his best.

Fall from India Place: On Dublin Street, Book 4

Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco's life - something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they're meant to be together. But just when Marco thinks they're committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she's been hiding from him - a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again.

The narrator is HORRIBLE! I had an extremely difficult time getting through it. She is reading what is suppose to be a hot, sexy story like you would a nursery rhyme to children. The inflection is all wrong, the pace is painfully slow and the Scottish accent is weak. Big fail on the publisher's part on casting the narrator, especially considering how fantastic the other three books were preformed.

The story is a bit predictable but still with some hot scenes. But I didn't just fall in love with the characters in this one the way I did with the previous three books. I found Marco's sudden reappearance and devotion to waiver on the "seriously?" side while Hannah's naivety could be slightly obnoxious. But there are a couple twists that kept me going. Overall, not nearly as good as her other three but because they were so hard to put down I did want to finish this one.

Down London Road

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may - or may not - fly. But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable....

Young definitely switched directions with both Johanna and Jocelyn's characters with her follow-up novel. It would good to see more depth in Jo and a lighter, happier version of Joc/Joss. It has everything a solid book should have—dimensional characters, heartache, great sexual tension and scenes, good resolution, etc. If you like On Dublin Street then this is a solid follow-up novel. Worth the credit!

My ONLY criticism would be that the narrator's breathy version of Cam's voice was a bit much. I don't think it added anything and the preformance would have been solid without it.

On Dublin Street

Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare.... Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well - until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.

For the genre, this is a pretty good listen. The narrator did a very good job of getting the accents down and not making the male characters sound bizarre by trying to emulate a deeper voice. She can seem a little dead-pan at first but then it really lends itself to the main character so stick with it. The sexual tension between Jocelyn and Braden makes for some good listening. The description of their sex scenes is definitely hot. It was starting to get a little annoying with her lack of evolvement about 3/4 of the way through the novel but then it picks up. I definitely recommend this book, it's a good, hot listen!

Outlander

Why we think it’s a great listen: An all-time Audible favorite that mixes historic fiction, adventure, and romance with one of the most fascinating literary devices: time travel. Outlander introduces an exhilarating world of heroism and breathtaking thrills as one woman is torn between past and present, passion and love. In 1945, former combat nurse Claire Randall returns from World War II and joins her husband for a second honeymoon. But their blissful reunion is shattered....

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

NOT EXACTLYI absolutely loved the book. I loved it so much, I went out and bought the other 6 when I finished the first one. So I was excited to listen to the audiobook. I was very disappointed in the narrator. I honestly felt like I was listening to Claire's mother (or grandmother), not a 27 year old, feisty female lead. The narrator ruined the story for me.

How could the performance have been better?

Recast the narrator. I don't want to feel like I'm listening to an elderly woman talk about making passionate love to her husband when she is supposed to be 27!!! How did this woman get the job to narrate this awesome book???I also felt that the other characters she had to "read" were poorly done. She made Jamie sound old and decrepit. She made Jenny sound like a flighty, nervous girl—when she is EXACTLY the opposite. The narrator just did a HORRIBLE job overall. A good narrator engrosses you in the characters, making you forget that you are listening to one person read the parts of many. An excellent example of this is Humphrey Bower who reads the Bryce Courtenay books. He's amazing. When he reads the female roles, I'm so involved in the story that I forget it's a man reading a woman's part. It's just a shame that talent like that couldn't be procured for the Outlander books.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

There is nothing wrong with the story and the romance between the two characters is wonderful. But the audio performance is horrible.

Any additional comments?

Buy and read the book, skip the audiobook. I want to give it more stars cause the story is so good but the narrator was sooooo bad, that I can't.

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